Michael Jantzen’s Pavilion of the Rising Sun Gathers Solar Energy for Local Communities

Michael Jantzen designed the Pavilion of the Rising Sun, a proposal for a large public space that gathers energy from the sun and distributes it out into the local community. The gathered energy is also used to illuminate the pavilion at night. Energy from the sunlight is converted into electricity through a large array of photovoltaic cells that are integrated into the top of the structure. 121 blue steel columns support the array of photovoltaic cells that also shade the space below. A large hemispheric curved space, representing the sun, is formed in the center of the pavilion defined by a series of yellow steel arches. The entire steel portion of the structure is supported and elevated on a concrete base defined by a series of perimeter steps. Symbolically, the yellow sun appears to be rising up into the blue sky, which is partially shaded by a grid of gathering dark clouds. The Pavilion of the Rising Sun is one in a series of functional art structures that strives to celebrate the use of alternative energy in the built environment. The designer hopes that the pavilion will be built and used in a public place like a park, for special events, and/or for just relaxing in the warmth of the rising sun.

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